Greetings audience, I'm Thea, I'm a high school student, and today we're going to talk about sex.
大家好，我叫西娅，是一名高中生，今天和大家谈谈性这个话题。
Operating on the assumption you're human, you've certainly heard of sex.
假设你是人类，你就肯定知道性。
In case you haven't, to get you up to speed, sex is the process by which many organisms ensure their continued existence.
假使你没有听过，我来告诉你，许多生物通过性来繁衍。
Here's the thing though: sex is more complicated than that because -- spoiler alert! -- humans are complicated.
但事情就是这样，性远比这更复杂因为，剧透警报，人类太复杂了。
So how do we learn about sex if it's so complicated?
这么复杂，我们如何了解性？
You might remember sex education like this:
你脑海中的性教育有可能是这样的：
Urban Dictionary -- your source for news and information about the 21st century zeitgeist -- describes sex education as:
城市词典--是你阅读21世纪时代精神的新闻和信息的来源，它将性教育描述为：
"where they try to scare you out of having sex with pictures of diseased genitals..."
他们试图用生殖器疾病的图片让你对性交感到恐惧。
A more hopeful description of sex education would be something like:
更容易被大众接受的性教育描述应该是这样：
a lifelong process of learning about sex and sexuality,
终身学习性和性行为，
exploring values and beliefs and gaining skills to navigate relationships and manage your sexual health.
探索正确的价值观和信仰，获得驾驭情侣关系和管理性健康的技能。
This, as far as I'm concerned, is a solid definition.
就我而言，这是一个可靠的定义。
So what can we do to make sex education something that teens find actually, like, educational.
那么，我们怎样可以让性教育为青少年回答性相关问题，成为一种教育。
Clearly, teens need answers to their questions.
显然，青少年需要问题的答案。
Where do people go when they have questions?
当人们有疑问时，他们会去哪里？
Listen, I love the Internet. It's one of the greatest developments in human information exchange.
听着，我喜欢互联网。这是人类信息交流的最大发展成果之一。
But what it says about sexual health is not accurate by any stretch of the imagination
但是网络对于性健康的说法要不无论怎样联想都不准确，
or is so laden with bias that it feels more like being pelted with judgement than actually receiving information.
要不就充满了偏见，接受了各种被判断而不是事实信息。
Unfortunately, not every teen is willing and able to chat it up with their parents about sex.
不幸的是，并非每个青少年都愿意并且能够与父母聊聊性这个话题。
So if not always the Internet, where can teens turn? Enter the peer educator.
所以，如果没有互联网，青少年该怎么办？找同龄教育者。
People my age do, indeed, talk to each other about sex.
事实上，我们这个年龄的人确实会谈论性。
So when teens are sources of accurate information, it spreads among us quickly.
因此，当青少年是准确信息的来源时，它会在我们中间迅速传播。
As a peer educator, I belong to a program
作为同龄教育者，我参与了一个项目，
that gives me the tools to learn about everything from STIs and safe sex to contraception and consent.
从中我可以学习从性传播感染到安全性行为到避孕和同意的一切信息。
Basically, I can tell you more about human sexuality than the average adult.
基本上，我对性行为的了解比一般的成年人要多得多。
When teens see someone like me instead of someone older, they're quite open to the information I have to offer them.
当青少年看到像我这样的同龄人而不是年长者，他们愿意接受我的性知识。
At lunch once, some friends wanted to know the difference between hormonal and copper IUDs.
一次午餐，一些朋友想知道荷尔蒙和带铜宫内节育器之间的区别。
So I brought this to the table.
我就和他们解释了。

Another day, my teacher didn't understand how emergency contraception works. So I explained it to the class.
另一天，我的老师不明白紧急避孕药的原理。所以我向全班同学解释了这一点。
What does it look like when teens ask me questions about sexual health?
青少年都会问我什么样的关于性健康的问题呢？
It goes something like this. Venereal disease, STD, STI? This terminology, it baffles me.
大概是这样的。性病，性传播病还是性病传染？这个术语让我感到困惑。
STI stands for sexually transmitted infection.
STI代表性传播感染。
We used to say STD, which stood for sexually transmitted disease,
我们曾经说STD代表性传播疾病，
but it was changed recently because STI is a more medically accurate term,
但现在变了，因为STI是一个更准确的医学术语，
and taking away the big scary word "disease" helps decrease stigma.
并且避免了疾病这个可怕的词，也有助于减少耻辱感。
What the heck is trichomoniasis? Well, trichomoniasis is a STI usually spread through vaginal intercourse.
什么是毛滴虫病？嗯，毛滴虫病是一种性病，通常通过阴道性交传播。
It's curable with just one dose of an oral drug.
只用一剂口服药就可以治愈。
Common symptoms, regardless of a person's sex, are unusual discharge, painful urination and itching.
无论男性女性，常见的症状是尿频，尿疼和瘙痒。
But it spreads really quickly because most of the time it's asymptomatic, which means people don't realize they have it.
但它传播速度快，因为大部分时间它都是无症状的，这意味着人们没有意识到他们已经感染。
That's why it's so important to get tested regularly. Is it OK to be gay?
这就是为什么定期检测身体非常重要。同性恋也可以吗？
Yes, all people of all identities and backgrounds,
是的，所有身份和背景的人，
including on the LGBTQ+ spectrum, can live healthy and productive lives.
包括女同性恋者，男同性恋者，双性恋者，跨性别者，酷儿等，都能过上健康和有意义的生活。
Regardless of your beliefs, everyone has the right to explore and express their sexuality without the fear of shame or judgement.
无论你的信仰如何，每个人都有权探索和表达自己的性取向，而不被他人赋予偏见。
Thanks! So often, when my peers approach me with questions like these, seeking this or that piece of information,
谢谢！通常情况下，当我的同龄人过来问我这样的问题，寻求这方面或那方面信息，
at least a sliver of what they're wondering is: "Am I normal?" So let's talk about normal.
他们隐约地想知道的是：我正常吗？那么让我们谈谈什么是正常。
Part of the point of peer education is to give teens the opportunity to understand that there is no such thing as the elusive "normal."
同龄者教育的部分目的是让青少年有机会了解没有让人难以捉摸的正常。
Peer educators are here to say they're armed with information that empowers you to make informed decisions; you are going to be OK.
同龄教育者为你提供他们拥有的信息，帮助你做出明智的决定，你会没事的。
"Normal" isn't really necessary. When you can get accurate, judgement-free information from your peers,
正常并非真正必要。当你能从同龄者那里得到准确、没有偏见的信息时，
you realize that sex-ed doesn't have to be scary.
你会发现性爱不可怕。
So instead of striving to be normal, let's talk to each other.
所以不要为了正常而正常，让我们互相交流。
Since peer education allows sex-ed to reach the community in ways that go far beyond pictures of diseased genitals,
由于同龄教育认为性行为让社区了解的远远不止患病生殖器图片，
it turns out to be pretty brilliant.
因此结果非常出色。
An idea that, unlike trichomoniasis, is certainly worth spreading.
与毛滴虫病不同，这个想法当然值得传播。